This is the fourth part of an eleven-piece series on ways that you can improve your auditions! Read our previous post on Female Clothing here. We will be taking an honest and in-depth look at how auditions work and what you can do to succeed. This edition focuses on the single most important aspect of the audition process: being on time. Timeliness will absolutely make or break your audition, sometimes even before you have performed. Be early!

The Ugly Truth

If you are late to your assigned audition time, it is extremely likely that you will not be hired. Further, if you no-show or “ghost” on the judges, you may even be blacklisted from future auditions with that company. Be careful – the arts community is small and people talk. News of a bad audition with one company may spread and prevent you from success with other companies. If you are running late, the best thing to do is to call the company and explain what is happening with your schedule. Leave a voicemail if necessary. Doing so may cause you to forfeit the audition, but it likely won’t blacklist you for future opportunities. If you need to cancel the audition or request to reschedule for any reason, it is best to notify the company with as much notice as possible.

Local Auditions

If your audition is local and you know where you are going, plan to arrive at least half an hour before your scheduled time. You never know when traffic or other obstacles will get in your way. Get in the habit of building excess time into your schedule so that you can be early and travel without rushing. It is always a good idea to use traffic apps that update in real-time like Waze.

Foreign Auditions

If your audition is in a foreign area or is very far away, plan on arriving at least an hour early to account for transportation issues and for getting lost. So many things can go sour: a wrong address, unexpected construction, a cancelled train, and more. It is prudent to research the area and exactly how you will arrive ahead of time. Google Maps is very helpful for this. Extra and more thorough planning is required if your audition is in a foreign country. Don’t risk your audition (and your reputation) on shoddy planning.

The Perks of Being Early

Arriving early can often give you bonus points with the company. If the audition schedule is running ahead, the judges can see you sooner (which means that they can go home earlier!). If this happens, you are NOT obligated to enter the judging room early. You are permitted to wait until your assigned time if you need an extra moment to collect yourself and finish any preparations. Entering an audition early is a nice gesture, but only if you feel completely ready. Do not sabotage your audition by entering underprepared.

Once more, being late to an audition is the most debilitating mistake that you can make. It is often easily avoided as well! Use these tips to ensure that you will be early to your next audition. Stay tuned for our next installment of our Audition Series – being yourself!